To ‘capture’ an idea I literally drew (or painted) using ‘nothing’. All the visual representations are illusions. Despair is an illusion.

I

II

This series is also influenced by a Brimstone in Fire song that shares its namesake.

Music: Mikah Azurin, Alfredo Bunye & Christian IgnaLyrics: Mikah Azurin… Escape your brain and take controllife is not found safe at homeno one else can face your plightso smash your cage and fly outsideTear up the maps and walk past the edgesout to the zones where monsters will bethey’re waiting to teach you the wisdom you’re needingso sit at their feet and learn how to seeThrough the lies you sow to hide your blundersthe tricks that keep your pride intactuntil you leave your fear behindthere’s no escape from despair

These works are part of a group exhibition called Regalo atAvellana Art Gallery. The wooden boxes were given to all participants to compose with.

Been fascinated with mythological creatures lately. The Harpy’s face was painted in Photoshop with a Wacom Intuos 4 Pro tablet, whilst her body is from an image of an Egyptian Vulture. I’d like this to be part of, if not the main subject of a future painting.

This started out as a pencil drawing, which was eventually digitally manipulated. I’ve always been fascinated by sphinxes and intend to create a whole series based on the subject –if not strange mythological creatures at least. On the left is one of my favorite paintings: “Oedipus and the Sphinx” by Gustave Moreau.

“Which creature in the morning goes on four legs, at mid-day on two, and in the evening upon three, and the more legs it has, the weaker it be?”

A result of my ventures in ‘digital painting’ using Photoshop + a Wacom Intuos 4 Pro tablet.

The Ouroboros is a recurring theme in my work. This version is an amalgamation of the tail-eating-serpent, and the Biblical machinator of ‘The Fall’.

Gen 3:14 “And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou [art] cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.”

This piece was borne from the works of Lucio Fontana whose most significant works rebelled against the two-dimensionality of the canvas. Though he focused on hacks and perforations, I felt that his thesis could be further developed by adding more context into the space interplay.

The original artwork is a carefully hand-cut pencil sketch in my journal, which I’ve altered for web purposes. This work was also featured in issue 5.1 of a local publication called Flow whose staff accommodated the painstaking die-cutting involved to faithfully represent my idea.

* * *

People find solace through an entity that is not physically tangible — the “God” concept.

Because of its nuances and diversity, spirituality is often a personal and uncomfortable subject. Yet, on a grander scale, the idea of a supreme being is accepted. Interestingly, even to contradict the existence of such a being gives one a rationale to lean on.

One cannot help but feel that this social hesitance is due to people being embarrassed to express faith in the other-worldly, or what cannot be proven to exist. But, despite these reservations, many continue to find strength, reassurance, and comfort in ‘it’.

Because of the subject’s sensitivity, it felt appropriate to use an object from Philippine popular culture to satirically represent it. The “barrel man” is a small statue found in souvenir shops and literally comprises a man covered by a barrel –which upon removal reveals nudity and grossly enlarged genitalia. Similarly, faith is widely recognized, just not often discussed.

The barrel covers the statue’s nakedness, just as an invisible presence protects and helps us manage our experiences. This presence is concealed from others by our personal relationship with it, in spite of how much we rely on it to face the rest of the world. Through it we continue to find the strength to go on with our existence.